Sicario

Sicario was one of my most anticipated films of the year. Dennis Villeneuve is one of my absolute favourite working directors. Prisoners and Enemy are two of my all-time favourite films. Well, I'm happy to say that Sicario, though not perfect, is freaking fantastic!

The whole cast is amazing. Josh Brolin plays pretty much the same character as he did in Everest, and he nails it. Emily Blunt gives her BEST performance as the lead in this film. Her acting ability totally blew me away. My favourite performance though has to be Benicio Del Toro. This might be my favourite performance from him.

The directing and cinematography are some of the best I've seen in years. Roger Deakins proves yet again that he's the best cinematographer working today. There are so many shots that had me saying "wow" out loud in the theatre.

My main issues with Sicario lie in the story and pacing. The story is fairly by-the-numbers and clichéd. They handle it well, but it seemed too familiar. Also, the first half of the movie is paced terribly. Unfortunately, it took me a while to get into the film. I was bored, yet still interested up until the 1 hour mark. If the pacing would have been tighter, I would have enjoyed it more. The musical score is also perfect for the super dark tone.

Overall, Sicario is a fantastic film with good performances and breathtaking cinematography. Though the first half is very slow and the story is familiar, it's definitely worth seeing for film-buffs and fans of Dennis Villeneuve.

RATING: 8.5/10.